Seafood Results

Summary

Effluent: Farmed cockles are not provided nutrient fertilization. Effluent may be released from the hatchery or nursery phases, but this is not considered to have any negative effects on the environment, and filter-feeding of cockles during grow-out is often cited as improving water quality and/or nutrient cycling in the vicinity near farms. In isolated cases, anti-predator netting or other plastics may be unintentionally released from the farm, but this is not typical, particularly in regions that dominate cockle production globally.

Habitat: Farmed cockle grow-out operations are primarily located in intertidal or shallow subtidal environments of estuaries, coastal lagoons and bays, all of which are generally considered high- value environments. However, the impact of farmed cockle operations on habitat is considered to be minimal, with the main concerns stemming from bio-deposition and harvest.

Feed: Cockle farming does not require external feed. Cockles obtain nutrients by filtering water, which also serves to improve water quality and/or nutrient cycling in the vicinity near farms.

Disease: Diseases in farmed cockles can occur at every stage of production, from the hatchery to grow- out. Farmed cockle grow-out systems are open to the natural environment and there is the possibility of disease exchange between wild and farmed animals. However, biosecurity measures have been put in place from the individual farm level to the intergovernmental and international levels, which reduce the risk of parasite and pathogen infection.

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• Bottom Culture

Summary

Abundance: Stock healthy and overfishing is not occuring.

Bycatch: Considered low, and undersized cockles and other species that are caught are returned to the ocean often alive.

Habitat: Harvest within sandy seafloor habitat causes some negative habitat impacts but certain sites are closed the to mitigate them.

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• Dredges (Mechanized or Harvesting Machines)

Summary

Effluent: Farmed cockles are not provided nutrient fertilization. Effluent may be released from the hatchery or nursery phases, but this is not considered to have any negative effects on the environment, and filter-feeding of cockles during grow-out is often cited as improving water quality and/or nutrient cycling in the vicinity near farms. In isolated cases, anti-predator netting or other plastics may be unintentionally released from the farm, but this is not typical, particularly in regions that dominate cockle production globally.

Habitat: Farmed cockle grow-out operations are primarily located in intertidal or shallow subtidal environments of estuaries, coastal lagoons and bays, all of which are generally considered high- value environments. However, the impact of farmed cockle operations on habitat is considered to be minimal, with the main concerns stemming from bio-deposition and harvest.

Feed: Cockle farming does not require external feed. Cockles obtain nutrients by filtering water, which also serves to improve water quality and/or nutrient cycling in the vicinity near farms.

Disease: Diseases in farmed cockles can occur at every stage of production, from the hatchery to grow- out. Farmed cockle grow-out systems are open to the natural environment and there is the possibility of disease exchange between wild and farmed animals. However, biosecurity measures have been put in place from the individual farm level to the intergovernmental and international levels, which reduce the risk of parasite and pathogen infection.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Off-Bottom Culture

Summary

Abundance: Stock healthy and overfishing is not occuring.

Bycatch: Considered low, and undersized cockles and other species that are caught are returned to the ocean often alive.

Habitat: Harvest within sandy seafloor habitat causes some negative habitat impacts but certain sites are closed the to mitigate them.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Dredges (Hand)

Summary

Abundance: Stock healthy and overfishing is not occuring.

Bycatch: Extremely low, harvest method is highly selective and undersized cocklesare returned to the ocean alive.

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• Hand Implements

Summary

Rationale: Ocean Wise recommends some, but not all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. Click to learn more about how the MSC certification was bench-marked to Ocean Wise. This fishery meets conservation standards to become OWS recommended.

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• Dredges (Mechanized or Harvesting Machines)

Summary

Learn more about harvest methods

• Dredges

Summary

Rationale: Ocean Wise recommends some, but not all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. Click to learn more about how the MSC certification was benchmarked to Ocean Wise. This fishery meets conservation standards to become OWS recommended.

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• Miscellaneous Gear

Summary

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• Traps

Summary

Rationale: Ocean Wise recommends some, but not all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. Click to learn more about how the MSC certification was bench-marked to Ocean Wise. This fishery meets conservation standards to become OWS recommended. 

Learn more about harvest methods

• Hand Implements

Summary

Rationale: Ocean Wise recommends some, but not all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. Click to learn more about how the MSC certification was bench-marked to Ocean Wise. This fishery meets conservation standards to become OWS recommended.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Hand Implements

Summary

Rationale: Ocean Wise recommends some, but not all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. Click to learn more about how the MSC certification was bench-marked to Ocean Wise. This fishery meets conservation standards to become OWS recommended.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Dredges (Vessel Towed)

Summary

Rationale: Ocean Wise recommends some, but not all Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified fisheries. Click to learn more about how the MSC certification was benchmarked to Ocean Wise. This fishery meets conservation standards to become OWS recommended.

Learn more about harvest methods

• Miscellaneous Gear